Avril's back and she's heading to the Hammersmith Apollo!

Hey! Hey! The awesome Avril Lavigne will be back in the UK later this month for a series of live dates.

Wednesday 21st September – London Hammersmith Apollo
Thursday 22nd September – London Hammersmith Apollo
Friday 23rd September – Manchester O2 Apollo


Avril released her latest album Goodbye Lullaby earlier this year, earning her another Top 10 record.


The star's new single Wish You Were (not a cover of the Pink Floyd song, though that might potentially be amazing too) is released on the 26th September.


As a Max Martin penned track (him behind all those incredible Britney hits), it's obviously rather good.

The Kixx - Album preview

A few weeks ago I saw new band The Kixx supporting Olly Murs on tour at the prestigious Hammersmith Apollo and came away truly impressed by what they had to offer. Their debut single Already Gone is a fizzing, immensely energetic bit of pop/rock and a storming introduction to a group who are sure to be making waves in the music world shortly.

Listening to The Kixx's album sampler, the first thing that strikes you is the sense of energy - like a lightning storm trapped in a bottle and then suddenly let loose.

Tracks like Already Gone are at that moment of release, propelled on a jet-stream of catchy hooks and passion that was plain to see for anyone who caught them on tour. Dashing around the stage, guitars swinging, they played like it wasn't just a support slot, but their own headline show.

A real favourite of mine is Standing Where You Left Me - another massive upbeat track, full of bonkers techno synths, but also a surprisingly real grit to the vocals too.

With lyrics of 'Pretty lies are no concern, when we love we never learn', the song details a pessimistic outlook on the dangers of a fractious relationship. This isn't a Disney-fied sugar and smiles account of love and life, but rather something far more visceral and real.

Another thing The Kixx do really well? Laddy chants - they're stamped all over the album, especially on the punky There She Goes Again.

On a slower note though, there's Breathless, a lush piano ballad with real maturity to it. With a song like this, the crux of it is really believing the band means what they sing, and Breathless feels thoroughly authentic. Throughout the song, and the album as a whole, there are little quirks of melody as well as the overall scale of the sound that really help to elevate this into something truly alive.

When I saw them live at Hammersmith, you got a sense of the real benefit gained from them functioning as a complete band who all play their own instruments and who know exactly what they're doing. There's just a much fuller sound, and that's something reflected here on the album sampler too. Listening to Begin At The End, there's a satisfying throb of the bass in the verses, a real crunch to the guitar in the chorus - a musical intricacy that you just don't get with other boy bands.

A lot of comparisons have already been made with bands like Busted or McFly, but in truth the similarities don't really go much further than that they're all groups of guys playing catchy pop/rock tunes.

The Kixx's sound is their own and where they really shine is that they seem to have really pinned down what that unique sound is for them. Whereas other bands might spend their first album or two trundling along in first gear, The Kixx are already kicking it up to fifth.

Already Gone is available to download now.

INTERVIEW - Mini Viva

FROM APRIL 2010

The venue is London’s hallowed Hammersmith Apollo and I’ve come to see the dynamic pop duo that is Mini Viva.  Launched onto the music scene in 2009 with the irresistible Left My Heart In Tokyo, as the opening bars of that very track are met with a chorus of whoops and cheers from the audience, Mini Viva’s Frankee Connolly and Britt Love kick off their four track support slot for Britain’s Got Talent winners Diversity in style.

Dressed in black, the two girls exude effortless chic, blasting through the song with an impressive energy. The choreography is slick and immaculately rehearsed; the perfect accompaniment to the crème-de-la-creme of pop music. Next we’re treated to the shimmering, melancholy vibes and dreamy synths of I Wish and the epic balladry of Emotions of Love, a standout track from the girls’ forthcoming debut studio album. Even within such a short set-list, Mini Viva pack in versatility, showcasing that they’re just as skilled at down-tempo numbers as the dancey singles which have led them to chart success.

The highlight of the night comes in the form of new single One Touch. With a delightful refrain of ‘Do you wanna candy, hey baby’, it’s quite simply one of the best pop tracks to come out of the UK this year. Feisty to the max and packed full of attitude and catchy hooks, all wrapped up in the girls’ sultry vocal delivery, it’s mindblowingly good stuff.

Before the gig I sat down with the girls for a chat and they filled me in on what it means to be Mini Viva.  The duo currently broadcast a weekly webchat on social networking site Twitter, giving fans a unique insight into their lifestyle.

“To us, all our fans are really important and to have an interaction with them is even better,” say the girls.  It’s through mediums like this that fans really see the band grow and Frankee outlines Mini Viva’s own beginnings.  “We had to work so hard, and we’re still working now.  When we weren’t even signed we would go gigging in these really grungy places in London.  It was good for us, it got us that experience.”

“We’ve performed for all different types of audiences now; we’ve learnt to be strong,” adds Britt.  “When we performed for Clubland people would be throwing glowsticks and being crazy and I think it’s made us realise we’re going to come across people who’ll either love us or hate us.”

And what’s the best thing for them performing live?

“It’s the vibe, feeding off people.  When you see people singing the words, enjoying themselves and dancing it just gives you that extra oomph!  Sometimes it’s hard for us because we don’t normally mime so when we do stuff for TV we have to do pre-records and it feels weird because we prefer singing live and with a band.”

Mini Viva are renowned for working with production house Xenomania, the team behind some of the finest pop records around.  Led by chief writers Brian Higgins and Miranda Cooper, from their recording studios in the heart of Kent they lead their assault on the British charts, having penned hits for the likes of Girls Aloud, Kylie and the Sugababes.

“When you’re in the studios it’s a totally different experience to on stage,” say the girls.  “Xenomania are amazing and we go there to write music - we never feel tense though, it’s really relaxing. Brian and Miranda have taught us so much.  With I Left My Heart In Tokyo, even though it was their song, we put our vocal influences on it.  And especially with One Touch, we co-wrote that with them and it feels like ours.  It’s like our baby.”

I then quizzed the girls on their musical influences and how they felt they slotted into the current music scene,

“TLC, Destiny’s Child, All Saints, En Vogue – all those greats from back in the day, they were so strong.  There hasn’t been a girlband like that for a long time.  We just take influence from all their little things.  We wouldn’t want to copy anyone else so we look at other bands from the past, take out what’s good about them and try and add that into our own style.  There’s so many amazing, strong female artists out there at the moment too like La Roux, Lady Gaga, Beyonce...  That’s what we want to be like.”

And can the girls envision what route their lives might have taken if they hadn’t become singers?

“Before I was doing this I was just at college studying to be a make-up artist but now I’ve got my music career, I don’t think I could have ever done that.  I can’t imagine anything else, It’s really strange!” explains Frankee.

Fate, it seems, has worked out just right.  Going back to the girls’ new single One Touch and its confectionary-based lyrics, the question had to be asked, what was the girls’ favourite sweet?

“Mine has to be jelly babies!” says Britt.

“I love those long red things with all the sugar on them.  Strawberry laces!” enthuses Frankee.

And if the girls had to describe One Touch in just three words...

“Feisty.  Cheeky.  Sugary!  It’s definitely feisty, but it’s got that sweetness to it too.”

The girls go on to explain about their eye-catching music videos, including their work with Norwegian director Ray Kay, who was also the brains behind Cheryl Cole’s Fight For This Love video.

“He likes to do really iconic stuff like that and he definitely brought that to Left My Heart In Tokyo too.  There’s like two million views or something of it on YouTube.  It’s incredible!  In the One Touch video we’ve got bright make-up on, but we didn’t want it to be too much, like really kiddy.  We like to keep a kind of Japanese inspired style to us too.”

The girls also revealed what it was like getting accustomed to the high-energy lifestyle that comes with performing live and dancing in music videos and on stage.

“I remember when we supported The Saturdays on tour - it was only about a year ago but it feels like a million miles away now and it was a shock to our system as it was the first tour we ever did,” says Britt.  “Now that we do more dance moves we’re more used to it and it feels more comfortable, so yes, we do have to train hard.”

“When we first started out it was hard trying to sing and dance at the same time, we were like getting out of breath, thinking how do people do that!  But now it just comes naturally,” adds Frankee.

At some point in every artists’ career, there’s always the opportunity for a spot of collaboration and the girls are eager to chat about the subject,

 “We’d love to do something with Jay-Z, maybe Will.I.Am... definitely some American artist.  We’ll be going over there soon so hopefully something might happen - we’re on the same record label as Will.I.Am and the Black Eyed Peas.  The R&B/Hip-Hop thing is really in at the moment – people like N-Dubz... Tinie Tempah...  He actually asked us ages ago if we could collaborate.  But first we just want to get our album out there though, so people know who we are, and then we can think about starting to collaborate.”

The Saturdays - Live at the HMV Hammersmith Apollo - 17th Feb 2011

Live gigs are a very mixed bag; their vastly unpredictable nature meaning you never know quite what you are going to get. But I can safely say that the London date of The Saturdays’ latest tour has secured itself a place amongst some of the best live shows I’ve ever experienced. The sheer sense of energy and emotion on offer at the gig was incredible. Standing six rows back from the stage, the connection with the girls was incredible. I’ve been to many gigs at the Hammersmith Apollo and the bands always seem to feed off the prestige and richness of the setting; and here, amidst the ornate, gilded arches and chandeliers, the Saturdays seemed to fit so well – British pop royalty.

The theme of fun and glamour is well established from the start with an inspired intro to the night; to the tune of the recent dance hit Barbra Streisand the girls call out the names of friends, family and fans in the audience – Not gonna lie, I was more than a little chuffed when they called out my name!

Leading on from this, the girls launch into a frenetic trio of upbeat tracks that encompass some of their finest moments; their most recent single Higher, the fan-favourite One Shot and the anthemic Up. The set-list serves as a reminder of just how consistent The Saturdays’ output has been. In a previous age, pop bands would churn out new albums in a conveyor-belt like system. Quality was by-the-by; all that mattered was quick sales. But the Saturdays belong to a more discerning age. Listeners demand a better standard of music, and The Saturdays are more than up to the challenge of producing some of the best pop out there. And most importantly, it is distinctly British. In an age where so much of the charts are full of American import, the girls continue to fly the flag high for the UK.

As the band perform some of their older tracks, you get a real sense that The Saturdays now have their own legacy; a proper place among contemporary pop culture. For Died In Your Eyes Una pulls out her guitar and strums along, testament to her years as a budding singer-songwriter in Ireland. Each girl brings something unique to the band, their personalities shining through both individually and as a group collective.

Whereas before The Saturdays perhaps occupied a relatively niche position - drawing crowds of in-the-know pop lovers - now their appeal is universal, the crowd encompassing the whole spectrum of society from young to old. With their delightful ITV2 documentary series The Saturdays 24/7 and extensive press coverage spurred on by Frankie and Rochelle’s high-profile relationships, they have well and truly found themselves in the centre of the public eye. With that said, The Headlines Tour seems a particularly apt name for their current run of shows.

Halfway through the gig the girls pull out a brilliant Rihanna medley – the chorus of Love The Way You Lie showcasing just how strong their vocals are, while What’s My Name sees Rochelle and Frankie working some seriously sexy dance moves. The costumes are equally attention grabbing - from sparkly, glittery dresses that are the very essence of pop to street-smart denim and day-glo hoodies, the clothes complimented the songs perfectly. Switching into sultry black leather skirts for the encore, they deliver the defiant Ego.

Throughout their career, The Saturdays have remained resolutely upbeat and positive. It’s part of their charm. Up, Higher, Work – the message conveyed in their singles is there for all to read. This is the band who’s ambition and passion for what they do has carried them forever onwards and upwards in an increasingly competitive industry. Tonight, The Saturdays were on the finest of forms – they gave it their all, and so did the audience. They are the headlines-making band for a headlines-defined age. And you know what? We Just Can’t Get Enough of them. An amazing night.